This is the view of the world from the eyes of a Sugar Islander. It talks about Anime, Boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Team Pilipinas and Fiba Basketball. It also covers Naruto and Bleach comic books. However, serious Asian society issues and Racism against Asians, Asian achievers in Sports are also discussed. Advocacies are carried on and never forgotten.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Here is Team Philippines' schedule for the 2009 World Cup of Pool. The country is represented by the inaugural World Cup of Pool Champions Efren Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante ( Team B) and Dennis Orcullo and Ronnie Alcano (Team A). Boy, I do hope we win again. It was ten years ago when Efren Reyes won the World Pool Championship in Wales and it was one of the greatest performances in pool ever.Tsk if things go well Team Philippines A will face Taiwan in the quarterfinals. Team B will meet England in the same phase of the tournament. Hopefully, it will be an all-Philippine finals, as the tournament format makes it possible.

Now Team Philippines A & B Schedule for the 2009 World Pool Championship

Yipee! The 2009 Fiba Europe / Eurobasket Championship (Basketball) is just around the corner, specifically this month from Sept. 7 - 20, 2009 in Poland, but where can we watch it? As usual the American basketball fans will be the luckiest as it will be streamed online / live on espn360.com in select internet service providers. Espn 360 is a great streaming sports site it's just too bad I'm not in the United States. Look at the collection of sports matches it covers live - a sports' fan dream website! For the rest of the world, the 2009 Eurobasket / Fiba Europe Championship is available on fibatv.com for a fee though.

In the Philippines, the tournament WILL definitely be available on Basketball TV / CS9. I will post the schedule here once it is available.

2009 Fiba Europe / Eurobasket Championship

Of all continental basketball tournaments, Eurobasket is the most exciting and competitive. Need I explain? There are many countries capable of winning the title. It is the domain of Eastern European countries, but Western Europe is mounting a strong challenge. Spain is the defending World Champion and Olympic runner-up. Most likely, Spain is the team to beat. What makes it strong is their teamwork and execution plus abundance of basketball talent like Fernandez, Gasol brothers, Navarro, and Rubio. Pau Gasol injured himself while training weeks ago I'm not sure whether he can make it in time. I won't discount the Spanish team of choking though (no offense to Spanish fans). The Spanish fans expect their team to win this time,. However Paul Gasol said they must take it one game at a time. It is a sound advice as it prevents complacency from setting in.

Other teams to watch are Russia (the defending Eurobasket champions), Greece (2006 World Championship runner up), and Lithuania. These teams are title contenders.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Viloria vs Iribe Result (boxing) - The fight was very technical at the beginning with very few spurts of sustained attack. Brian Viloria was cautious and I don't blame him as Iribe looked bigger but when opportunity presented itself the former took advantage of it. Viloria delivered three-four punch combo consistently throughout the fight troubling J. Iribe.

In the later rounds, the fight became more action-packed. Viloria almost brought trouble to himself when he engaged Iribe close in the final round. It was unnecessary anyway. Spectacular shots were exchanged and the crowd was up on their feet. But Viloria came out the clear winner at the end. The Filipino dominated the earlier rounds with crisp combination punching usually forcing Iribe to back down in the ropes.

No more lapsing to complacency this time for Brian. He is more consistent with his attack in fact the further the boxing match went the stronger he gets.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Bleach 371(comics) So who's the King of Hueco Mundo / King of Hollows? I'm surprised too, it is - Barragan Luisenbarn. No wonder he wants to lead even disregarding Stark. Hueco Mundo is so disorganized anyway. There's this popular question: If Barragan Luisenbarn is the King, then what does that make Stark and Halibel? I don't know, perhaps Prince Charming and Fairy Godmother LOL. If Stark is more powerful than the King then what is he? We'll know soon.

This revelation answers many questions.

Why Barragan is so arrogant and haughty.

Why He loves to order people around.

Aizen Sousuke orders the so-called King around, you can only do that if you are more powerful than him. So, he is the real King of Hollows / King of Hueco Mundo now. We all know that but so far nobody ever addressed him that. Maybe because he doesn't like the sound of it. Is there no limit to what Aizen can do? How easy was it for him to take over in Hueco Mundo? He seems to be unstoppable at the moment.Bleach - available in anime (cartoon) and manga (comics)

Japeth Aguilar's saga is not yet over. Oh my! Japeth Aguilar, the 6-10 Western Kentucky University alumni, now wants to join Smart Gilas after participating in the Philippine Basketball Association draft weeks ago. As a result, he became the no.1 draft pick (by Burger King Whoopers). Now, most people thought Japeth's going to sign the contract but he didn't and instead expressed his intention to join the national team.Japeth could have made his life a lot easier if he'd only stuck with Smart Gilas Basketball. Oh well, luckily for Japeth, no contract was signed. As far as I know, the team and the draftee should work out the contract (negotiate terms) for specified number of days and if nothing happened the player will become a free agent. There are people who say even three years from now, Burger King will still own the rights to Japeth and he can't sign with any professional team without their approval. I don't know about that since PBA rules aren't posted in cyberspace where we can verify it ourselves unlike the National Basketball Association rules.

There were many cases of players who got drafted but wasn't offered a contract but I hadn't heard of no.1 pick refusing to play for the team that drafted him. Some people cite Victor Pablo and the Coke guy but I'm not familiar with their cases. I don't want to comment on them.

Points To Consider:What Japeth Aguilar did really surprised me but legally speaking as long as he hadn't signed any contract, he has no obligation just like a Philippine Basketball Association team is has no obligation to hire its draftees.

Aguilar should've seriously considered his options. Now, he finds himself in a controversy that is avoidable. His reputation is taking a beating.

When I was in college I was taught nobody can force you to work if you don't want to or it will be tantamount to involuntary servitude and is unconstitutional.

In fairness to BK, they said they will allow Japeth to play for Smart Gilas.If Japeth talked personally to Burger King owners, I think this fiasco could have been prevented as long as they make a deal that would benefit both parties. We Filipinos are good in sorting things out through heart to heart talk.

Why the sudden change of heart?

When I returned home after graduating from Western Kentucky University it was mainly because I wanted the chance to play for the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Championships and feel the pride that comes from playing for my country.

Unfortunately it didn’t go too well. But having seen first hand what it was like, how the teams from the Middle-East played and the system they followed, I felt the challenge to try again and to take them on, confident that we could surely do better the next time with hard work, dedication and the willingness to sacrifice and learn.

I am prepared to do just that. My father Peter who also played for the Northern Consolidated national team wants me to do that and so do the other members of our family.

The only way I can achieve this goal is by playing for the Smart Gilas development team under coach Rajko Toroman provided of course that they accept me since I had initially decided to enter the PBA Annual Draft.

I am confident that they will.

The experience of Tinajin, China, opened my eyes and told me that if I truly want to help my country in international basketball I will have to sacrifice a career in the pro league with all the glamour and all the perks, and join the national pool for the present time.

I will always be grateful to coach Yeng Guiao for the opportunity he gave me to play for the Philippines, Powerade Team Filipinas manager JB Baylon and PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios for their kindness, understanding and support.

I wish to extend my deep sense of gratitude to coach Yeng, Burger King team owner Mr. Bert Lina and team manager and PBA chairman Lito Alvarez for their confidence in my ability by making me their No.1 draft pick.

I trust they will understand that my desire to play for my country means more to me and my family than anything else.

I have made the choice with my family’s blessings and encouragement.

I hope and pray that my countrymen will support me in the effort to help strengthen the Philippine Team in its continuing quest for respect and redemption in international basketball.SGD. Japeth Aguilar

The controversy led many people to unfairly judge Japeth Aguilar. Unfortunately, most of them are misinformed. Why are they so angry? Remember this person - Manny V. Pangilinan. He owns Smart Gilas team and has shares in Burger King. He WILL sort this thing out. For an accomplished business executive, this conflict is nothing new to him. He will solve this crisis, most likely behind the scenes. Trust me. Everything will turn out fine in the end.

Update: 9 -1 -09

Since we can't check the PBA rules online we are left in the dark. Now it turns out if a draftee refuses to sign the contract, he will have to sit out for two years and in the third year he becomes a free agent. There's no rule about banning. It will look bad to the public if the PBA bans Japeth for it will look like the league is forcing the young man to sign his contract. You ban someone because he doesn't want to sign a contract? How will it look it to the public? Worse, fans would question the fairness of the league. A PBA team HAS NO LIABILITY if it doesn't sign the player it drafted but it is not the same when the players won't. It will be a public relations nightmare and put the spotlight on the league. Burger King still has the rights to Japeth though for two years. I think it would be better if the sides try to settle this PRIVATELY and not talk to each other in the press.

Update 9 - 2 - 09When a PBA team dumps a draftee, it's called a business decision when it's the other way around the draftee is called unprofessional. Yes, I know PBA teams spend millions but is this fair? One thing we Filipinos hate is inequality.

I still don't understand Japeth's decision-making. There must be something wrong with the contract Burger King offered to him. This is the root of the controversy anyway.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Naruto 461(comics). The new manga (comics) chapter is interesting. Darui's power is transliterated in naruto-spoilers.com as Suiton Suijinheki (Water Encampment Wall) while Sleepyfans had it as Suiton Mizujinheki. Suiton Suijinheki is Water Encampment Wall in English and if you look at the illustration of Suiton Mizujinheki in Sleepyfans (onemanga) Darui's jutsu (water) encircled the Raikage to shield him from Sasuke's attack. I hope later we will know if this is just incorrect transliteration or Suiton Mizujinheki is a newly introduced jutsu. I don't pretend to know much about these things so hopefully these matter will be sorted out. Whatever the name of that Water Wall Technique, it is effective as it stopped Sasuke.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Brian Viloria vs Jesus Iribe:Island Assault....Viloria, the reigning International Boxing Federation light flyweight champion, will defend his crown against Jesus Iribe of Mexico in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA on August the 29. The fight was originally scheduled in the Philippines.

Brian Viloria (25 - 2, 15 KOs) has improved a lot under trainer Roberto Garcia. He brought the old and aggressive Viloria back and it showed against Ulises Solis last April. Although there were times Viloria lapse into complacency Garcia was there to motivate him. Here's the account:

Viloria's corner reminded him not to throw away his fight. Taking the advice to heart, Viloria relentlessly attacked Solis at the start of the eleventh much to the delight of the crowd. Then, a well-placed right from Viloria decked Solis winning the title in the process.

Yes, Viloria is one talented boxer. He was once the World Amateur boxing champion in 1999. Viloria's weakness is the tendency to be complacent - it happened against Solis when his work rate suddenly dropped and the latter took advantage. Fortunately for Viloria, he recovered and KO'd Solis. The Hawaiian Punch should not do that again. He must finish his opponent off quickly. Iribe is the World Boxing Council FECOMBOX champion with 15 -5 - 5 9 KOs record. The Mexican has two straight knockout victories coming into the fight, though the quality of his opponents isn't as high as that of Viloria's. Both have a common opponent in Edgar Sosa and both lost to him. But this isn't the old Viloria that lost to Sosa. The Filipino racked up six straight wins since then and has set his sight on a possible rematch.

Viloria's boxing skills is superb. He has power and speed, but what keeps him from unleashing his full potential is his mental state, his tendency to stop punching out of the blue in a winnable boxing match. He seems to be afraid of giving it all. Once, Viloria punched a guy into coma. The experience must have scarred him. He is a boxer not a killer. His victim was Ruben Contreras -- he is better now. Obviously, this incident still has an effect on Viloria. If it still bothers him a lot, he should consult a trained professional about it.

You can watch Viloria vs Iribe boxing match on GMA network and in Pay Per View in the United States.

boxingsceneboxingrecHonolulu adviserphilboxing.com

Update: 8 - 30 - 09

Dennis Laurente defeated his Mexican opponent - a complete shutout.

Boxing coverage on Television in the Philippines will be on GMA 3:00pm. SuperRadyo networks is covering the matches live.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Bleach 234 (anime) Renji's Surprised and Two Zabimarus? The great thing to look forward to in this episode is the fight betweenIchigo and Muramasa. Do you know where they are fighting? I bet you do ---- inside Ichigo. The Hollow Ichigo is really powerful, he easily pummeled Byakuya in the Soul Society Arc, pawned Zangetsu I mean its good that Ichigo could at least control him. He's dangerous.

I remember clearly what Renji's zanpakutou looked like - a snake and a baboon. Now it's a woman. I recall a Bleach shinigami cup joke wherein Captain Kurotsuchi boasted he can change the zanpakutous gender which got Renji REALLY interested. I wonder if he really changed his. No matter.

I hope Bleach 234 finally answer two important questions:

Who "owns" Muramasa?

Why did he rebel?

Most likely Muramasa will tell his sob story interspersed while fighting Ichigo (in short story telling and fighting combo). Obviously, the rebel won't go away or get destroyed easily. I expect the animation to be better than last week. The fights are more enjoyable if they are fluid and not like its done hurriedly or just for the sake of making fillers.

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Bleach anime - airs every Tuesday in Japan. Its manga is one of the most popular titles both in Japan and North America.

anime - simply put is Japanese cartoon though it makes you think and marvel at its story telling.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Bleach 370 manga: Meet Barragan Luisenbarn, the self-proclaimed deity / god of Hueco Mundo. He seemed to have overestimated himself too much after he survived the attacks from a current vice-captain and a former one. He started spewing nonsense while the Vizard is busy hatching up a plan to PAWN him. Barragan had no idea what's coming. Hachigen rises up to the occasion and he cut his arm, put it on a barrier and transferred it to Barragan's stomach. The Arrancar was swallowed up or destroyed (I don't understand the drawing). No matter, the Kidou Master showed us why he became a VC in the first place.

Bleach 370 review: Do you like this fight, Bleach fans? The only emotion I feel right now is gladness that this death match is over. There are other exciting fights coming up: Komamura and Hisagi vs Tousen and Shinji vs Aizen which was temporarily interrupted. I think we're all looking forward to that.

News reports came out yesterday that the Philhealth or the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is going bankrupt but government officials deny the stories. According to Philheath executives, the company actually had an income of P 10 billion last year up 50% from 2007 figure. Its reserve fund amounts to P 63 billion. Reports of Philheath bankruptcy stems from the National Government unpaid debt of P 19 billion in unpaid contributions. So when will they pay this? The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Philhealth have different computations so the two parties will have to resolve this before the government pays the government owned and controlled corporation. DBM calculated the debt at P 9 billion only.

It was a Philhealth official who first bared this disturbing news. If this remains unresolved "the life of the fund is only until 2016", Nerissa Santiago, Philhealth Vice President and Deputy Chief Actuary told the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.

Hospital fees are so expensive and Philhealth really helps assuage the high cost of it. Imagine seventeen million people in health care limbo if the corporation crashes. This is not a joke. Seriously, please protect Philhealth.

I'm thankful for Philhealth...it's not perfect but it's better than nothing. Many benefited from it.

Naruto 460 Manga Sasuke Surrounded: This is what I said the last time...

Was Akatsuki setting up Sasuke? Why on earth would the Aloe Vera (LOL Naruto makes me laugh) I mean Zetsu appear right in the middle of the table where the Kages are having their meeting and say Sasuke is somewhere here? Now Danzo will probably get the idea that Sasuke's after him. Worse, the Kages will go after him.

Tsk...man so Sasuke was set up and he is mad as hell, but why would the Akatsuki do that? He was so pissed that he revealed himself and met the Samurais head-on. I'm not sure whether he killed them for that would be very unfortunate (most likely he didn't). Sasuke has many enemies already and I'm sure he doesn't want to add the Land of Iron in the list. He is very powerful though Karin noticed his chakra is colder, darker and different than before.

Naruto 460 Manga Sasuke vs Raikage

The angry Raikage sprung into action after hearing Sasuke's near. It will be Sasuke vs Raikage in the next Naruto chapter. Do you like to see the Raikage's butt kicked? LOL. I don't like the Raikage. The leader of Kumo seems to rely on brute strength and speed but I know he has aces up his sleeve. I think Sasuke can handle him. The Raikage will be surprised at Sasuke's ability. The Uchiha kid has already defeated an S-class Ninja, Orochimaru. The Raikage is not a big problem.

Fact: The Samurais know how to use Chakra too.

Naruto 460 Manga Uchiha Madara Visits Naruto

Out of the blue, Uchiha Madara is already in Naruto's room. He wants to know why Nagato betrayed him. But Kakashi and Yamato seem to have captured him. But I think after Madara tells Sasuke's and Uchiha's story he will get out of their trap.

I wonder how Naruto react once he finds out the real reason beside the Uchiha clan massacre and knowing Danzo was part of that. How can Naruto stop this hatred from spiralling out of control?

I think Madara will also tell Naruto about Sasuke's whereabouts at the moment. The ever impulsive Naruto will immediately go to the Land of Iron in the hope that he could stop Sasuke and Raikage from fighting.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Did you enjoy the latest Bleach episode? Yup, Hollow Ichigo vs Zangetsu excited a lot of fans. The fight ended abruptly though. The show left me hanging there. No spectacular revelations. I was waiting for Muramasa to at least say whose Zanpakutou he is. But it never happened...ugh. The prospect of Shinigami fighting their Zanpakutou really arose fans' interest.

Zangetsu becomes an enemy, indeed. He said he is sick and tired of living in Ichigo's head LOL (after the end credits).

There are many interesing facts about Zanpakutou

They have their own soul.

They have their own wills.

Disturbingly, they desired this rebellion

So, its Ryujin Jakka that's loyal to his wielder so far. He and Yamamoto have been together for centuries so its understandable.

This is the most interesting Bleach anime filler. There are more fights in store so look forward to the next episode G.w.

Now I watch Hetalia anime to get some laughs and not to be sentimental but this episode touched my heart. WatchHetalia episode 30 man it's great.

England came to Japan to sign a treaty and he was curious about Japanese culture. He thought the mountain before him was Mt. Fuji it turns out to be just an ordinary mountain. Then, England asked about those things in Japanese mountains which is called "Tengu's Chair". The ancient Japanese made these Tengu's chairs to mark the Tengu's (roughly translated as Goblin by some people) territory so people would go near them. Out of the blue, England waved, claiming a Tengu was waving at him much to Japan's surprise.

It was night time and England was about to take a bath when he saw some creatures were there. The creatures were apparently Tengu. They prompted apologized and offered to leave. England said he doesn't mind and instead cordially asked them about Japanese culture . They had great conversation. Later, England was in bed when the grateful Tengu bade him goodbye. The creatures were happy that England treated him kindly. In the new era, the Japanese people had relegated them into superstition, He said he is leaving as their time is over and he is heading deep into the mountains. He used to talk to Japan but after some time the latter had forgotten him and his existence. The Tengu was happy that he met England and left.

This Tengu doesn't have a scary or fierce look on him usually found in other Japanese artworks. Obviously, the writer was sympathetic to them.

Modernity and Westernization have taken its toll on Japan but I think its even worse in my country. It's not yet over by the way. It really saddens me to see what is happening. Yes, I know I could do something too that's why when there's an opportunity I feature it - the cultural gems of my native land. Yes, I learned about my culture by asking the elderly, listening to radio and searching the net. There are many things I know that I don't know. It was only this year when I discovered the rich musical tradition of my people. We were taught Mozart, Beethoven and Liszt. Our history lessons are about some far away place most of us don't even care about. By the way, it's not wrong in itself but you've got to start in your own place. You don't know where you're going 'til you know where you've been.

There's some people who don't get the episode and I guess they have no idea or experience living in a country where the culture is slowly being eroded away. Outsiders never understand so be careful in choosing who and what you read. Well, in the anime, the foreigner understood right? But cases like these are RARE in real life.

The Hetalia episode is sad...for it shows Japan doesn't care anymore about his heritage. He lost a part of himself. What's so hard to understand in this episode?

Talk about Filipino creativity, ABS-CBN recently showed the trailer of RPG The Movie - the first Filipino / Philippine 3D animated feature film on national television. It looks promising and the characters look Filipino unlike in anime (Japanese animation / cartoon) or in local television. Sketchy reports say it is about a young kid that got trapped in the world of MMORPG. How many Filipino kids, teenagers, young adults, oldies, lola-techies can relate to that? I bet some of them WISHED they live in the MMORPG world where they could have a $ 20,000 dinner too.

I can't comment yet about the storyline, maybe after I see the movie. Yes, I'm sick and tired of watching movies I can't even relate too (including local ones). I want change and see a movie about us, about being a Filipino. Can somebody do this more often? I want to see more Filipino animated series and movies too.

RPG The Movie - if the story is great it will sell itself. The animation is great based on the trailer. The movie has tremendous potential. It doesn't have to be Disney Pixar-like.

I hope soon Philippine animation will have its own identity. You know once you see it you will know its Filipino.

The 2009 Fiba-Asia championship is over and now we tune in to another great continental basketball tournament - the 2009 Fiba-Americas Championship but where can we watch it online or live streaming legally, of course. Here? No, but on fibatv.com. This is a great innovation coming from Fiba and I do hope Fifa (world governing body for football) does it too. My favorite team is Argentina, because the cagers play exciting basketball but still fundamentally rooted. Their team work is amazing. The Argentinian basketball team of 2002 - 2004 is the greatest team I ever saw. I don't know whether this year's bunch would be strong but I'll still watch it anyway - no Ginobili however Scola is still with the squad. Whoever the players are, one thing's for sure, the Argentines always give their all for their country. Other countries should learn from them. The United States by virtue of winning the Olympics last year has already qualified for the 2010 Fiba World Championship in Turkey. Hopefully the tournament is not in November as Turkey is FINISHED LOL....ahem sorry about that.

Fiba-Americas August 26 - September 6, 2009

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Update: 8 - 27 -09

Thank you for the info. Yes, you can watch Fiba-Americas on Espn360.com. Though only people in the United States can avail of the service...bummer.

Monday, August 17, 2009

The Philippine Basketball Association plans to continue sending its players abroad for international tournaments. It's a great decision, in fairness to the league, BUT the better plan is for the PBA to just lend the cagers Coach Rajko Toroman wants to use for Smart Gilas. Yes, there are PBA players Toroman wants if I'm not mistaken Samigue Eman, Jay-R Reyes and Jason Castro assuming, of course, internet reports are true. I HOPE this is not "ningas cogon" again or just a publicity ploy. Don't raise our hopes up and smash it down later, please!

“I believe the heart of coach Yeng as a Filipino was touched by this experience of his. He talked to me personally and asked me in the nicest of terms to open my mind to the PBA continuing to help out the national cause,” PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios told the Philippine Star

“He’s seen here that if we are going to do well internationally especially in the Asian region, the PBA must open its mind and I suppose he wants to start with me as the commissioner,” he said. (Barrios was in Tianjin. Now you know what it feels like supporting the country. Victory is sweet and defeat is bitter).

Mr. Sonny Barrios sir I have one request for the PBA to try Fiba Rules. No sir, not totally, the league can modify it as long as the essentials are retained. For example, PBA can still retain 12 4-minute quarters and the same number of timeouts, but the number of fouls allocated to players should be trimmed down to five from six and the hand signs refs use the league to mirror that of Fiba's. As I've said before it's the players that make the league exciting not the rules. No, sir I'm not telling you how to do your job I'm not qualified to do that just giving some unsolicited suggestion. Besides, nothing is so perfect that it cannot be improved. Please Mr. Barrios sir listen to Team Pilipinas basketball fans!

Update: 8 - 18 - 09

SBP Executive Director Noli Eala said: "At this point the SBP would want to take over the national team. If the PBA is open to being involved then it would have to be under the program and direction of SBP, including the selection of national coaches and implementation of program."

The Philippine Basketball Association had their chance and threw it away. Now, its time for new ideas. Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas turn to lead.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

I don't know what Powerade Team Pilipinas will show up against Korea this afternoon. To quote the Qatari coach: "“Don’t go hard against the Philippines. This is just a qualifying game for them. This means nothing to them. There’s no ambition, no goals. You know what I mean?" I'll still watch the game though. I want to know what Team Pilipinas players are made of...are they men or sheep? I believe they are men who can arise against adversity...but that's just me. They have one more opportunity to redeem themselves.

Update: 8 -17 -09

Team Pilipinas lost to Korea 82 -80 at least they fought hard this time. Yes, like most Team Pilipinas fans I want them to win it all but its just not possible at the moment esp. now that another basketball power emerged....Iran.

Iran defeated China 70 -52 in yesterday's Fiba-Asia Championship finals. The West Asian team was so dominant from the start and surprised the host with tough defense and basketball smarts.

The Iranians came well-prepared both in offense and defense. Their defense was tough and they came up with eight steals, and made Yi Jian Lian and Wang Zhizhi ineffective at the paint. The difference in the game was simple - Iran wanted it more. Yes I know it sounds cliche but that's the truth. Iran fought for every loose ball and outjumped Chinese centers when necessary. So congratulations to Iran - Asian Champions!

Donaire vs Concepcion Result. In summary, Nonito Donaire gave a boxing clinic to Rafael Concepcion, but it wasn't evident as the Panamanian's occasional connections rocked the Filipino. Though clearly, Donaire was too skilled for the Central American.

At four pounds overweight, Rafael Concepcion was able to survive Donaire. The Flash said in an interview if Concepcion was fighting at 115, he would have knocked the Panamanian out. Nonito Donaire's jabs was giving Concepcion problems. His counterattacking and defense resembled that of Mayweather, but when opportunity came Donaire's left was unleashed. Donaire was content boxing and keeping out of trouble as the overweight opponent does have power. The Filipino's pinpoint jabs would routinely open the cut his opponent sustained in the early rounds. Donaire has his moments to put away Concepcion, but it wasn't meant to be, though it was a great show of his skills. Nonito Donaire is now the World Boxing Association Interim Super flyweight champion. He said in the TV interview he looks forward to fighting, Morel and Arce. Those fights will be exciting indeed!

Scores:De Luca 117 - 111Roth 116 - 112Ford 115 - 113

Donaire vs Concepcion Notes:

As most fans noted Donaire should strengthen his defense. His hands were too low for most of the fight!

Donaire should also improve his technique as he lost his balance every time he unleashes a huge right.

Remember fight fans Donaire fought an overweight opponent.

Donaire impressed me again. He is such a complete fighter - a lesser one would fold against Concepcion.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Powerade Team Pilipinas is in the consolation round - and yes we should be consoled at the fact that if the Philippines get fifth place the team might get a wild card invitation for the next year's Fiba World Championship in Turkey. Philippines vs Qatar will be at 2:00 pm today. If Team Pilipinas wants to they can beat Qatar but it depends on what mindset they'll bring in today's game.

Qatar - physically imposing squad, not consistent in shooting, and tend to be error prone. To their credit, Qatar is competitive and even built a seven-point lead against Iran yesterday before the defending Asian champs changed gears and trashed Qatar. Holdovers from the 2007 Team Pilipinas knows Qatar as they met in the Jones Cup in that year. Ali, Daoud, Elsayad and the veteran Musa are some of the team's notable players.

Team Pilipinas should beat Qatar and face Korea tomorrow G.w. for the 5th place playoff. Fifth place is the highest place the team could attain in this year's championship. If we do get invited for the Fiba World Qualifying Tournament, it will be another tough task as world basketball powers sometimes get in the mix. For example, the last wild card qualifiers were Croatia, Germany and Greece. But it's better than nothing.

Let's not compare the campaigns of Chot Reyes and Yeng Guiao as tournament format change gave the latter some benefit.

About the defeat yesterday....give me time as I wipe my tears (LOL).

Philippines vs Jordan

I wonder why Coach Yeng substituted players who were having a good game. No offense Coach, just asking. I thought in a KO game you give it all you've got including letting the in-form cagers play longer.

Rise of West Asian Teams?Remove Rasheim Wright and Jackson Vroman from their respective teams would they still be competitive? The only West Asian team rising or has risen is Iran.

Friday, August 14, 2009

I believe in RP Powerade, the National Team almighty,creator of points and rebounds.I believe in Kots Kalbo, his only goal, FIBA Gold,who was conceived by PBA,born of the hunger to regain the ASIA dominance,suffered under Crackers Lim,was belittled, ridiculed, and was crucified at Jones Cup;RP Team descended to Tianjin.On the ninth day the judgment day;Shall ascended into 4th Place,And would be seated at the 3rd place in ranking,and the Team will come to put a stop to Jordan's arrogance.I believe in Taulava et al,the holy outside shootings,the communion of ball movements,the forgiveness of turnovers,the resurrection of the Santos, Kerby and Aguilar ,and the victory everlasting.Amenen

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Yes, I'll write some of my observations about the previous Powerade Team Pilipinas matches. But before that, will Fiba-Asia please stop this travesty of describing Taulava as Tongan (his papers show he is Filipino and plays for the Philippines so replace that TGA with PHI). You don't put the USA tag on Jackson Vroman do you? Why the double standards? Their excuse is it is the player's place of birth. DUH! Rasheim Wright was born in the USA. If Asi Taulava is TGA, Wright should be USA in the Fiba website too.

The LAST LAUGH: I was watching Team Pilipinas vs Taiwan on a Taiwanese channel back in the Jones Cup when I heard a commentator say: "Willie Miller Filipino? He he he he!" They were also laughing their minds off at the errors Team Pilipinas made in the game. Three days ago, in the tournament that really mattered, Willie Miller made a crossover, which made their player turn the wrong way, and shot a three which devastated Chinese Taipei. Now we're laughing.

Iran defeated Korea last night 82- 66. The reward for the loser is a quarterfinal match with Lebanon, the losing finalist two years ago and a semifinal game with China, talk about punishment. Iran is on a different level right now. The winner gets to play Qatar in the quarterfinals and the winner of the Philippines / Jordan game in the semifinals.

The quality of basketball in Asia has risen 100%. Qatar vs Lebanon, Lebanon vs China, & Philippines vs Chinese-Taipei are some of the classic matches I saw.

Iran is going to get better as their U-18 squad are the current Asian champions and some of them will soon be integrated with the senior team.

Make Do Of What They Have

Yes, Team Pilipinas is making the most of what they have. It is impossible to see Team Pilipinas play a perfect game in their state right now. Besides, there's no such thing as a perfect game anyway. The players are determined to play the best they can despite the lack of preparation time and other weaknesses and sometimes they are rewarded as in the victories over Japan and Chinese-Taipei.

They say practice makes perfect. Can Powerade Team Pilipinas play perfect when they barely practiced? (assuming there's such thing as a perfect game) I don't care HOW they win as long as the Nationals do. If Team Pilipinas win in a scrappy manner so be it as winning is far better than losing.

His decision

I'm not fond of telling Powerade Team Pilipinas Coach Yeng Guiao what to do. First, he is an accomplished coach, Guiao knows what needs to be done anyway. He is also responsible for the squad win or lose. Besides, I'm a basketball fan not an expert.

Fight with All their Might

Team Pilipinas players, all of you will fight and give your all G.w. tomorrow right? I believe Team Pilipinas has a decent chance of winning against Jordan so play with all your might.I'm already satisfied since Team Pilipinas has defeated teams that I predicted they would like Sri Lanka, Japan, Chinese-Taipei and Kuwait. I'm happy I believed they'd win over Japan. Initially, Japan confused me, but after I saw their game against Korea in Fiba-Asia I knew our team would crush them.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Powerade Team Pilipinas vs Jordan will be on August 14 @ 2:00pm. Yes, this is the most likely quarterfinals match up for both teams. If you're a Philippine team fan, would you like the Nationals to face China? Of course not! Most likely, Jordan will not win over China tonight and the Arab nation will end up second in Group F and will meet us the third placer from Group E this Friday. Team Pilipinas has more chances of beating Jordan than China.

Whenever Jordan is vulnerable or can't make a headway against the opposition, Rasheim Wright gets in the act. Wright should be called the "Fire Man" (or Fire Fighter for pc purposes) as he extinguishes opponent's rally and douses their hope or when he leads his team in building up a sizable lead. The key is to handcuff Wright meaning play good defense on him. It's easier said than done though. Most likely Coach Yeng Guiao is going to put Norwood or Dillinger on him. Wright didn't play against Dillinger in the Jones Cup as the Filipino wasn't put in the line up back then. Again the scoring burden will be placed on Yap and Miller unless someone else rises up to the occasion. Ahhh...Team Pilipinas always rely on the smallest guy in the floor or a lone shooter (Jimmy Alapag in 2007 or Allan Caidic years ago). The positive thing is Team Pilipinas has been shooting better from three recently making at least 50% against Chinese Taipei and made 16 shots against Iran in addition to other players beside Yap made a three (Norwood, Miller, Helterbrand names I could remember).

Other players to watch out for are Al-Khas (6-9), Daghles (6-6), and Idais (6-10). Jordan is unbeaten since the Jones Cup (forfeited one game due to a walkout) and is in top form. I have a feeling Powerade Team Pilipinas can pull an upset. Jordan is the heavy favorite but the game is decided on the court and not in the betting section. To win, the Philippine team needs to play smart. Yes, I know they got what it takes and they know what they got to do. Suffocating defense and immaculate shooting are the key. They need to shoot better as Jordan's squad is tall and Team Pilipinas inside game disappears when they face a big squad and worse some get intimidated. As basketball experts pointed out against Iran yesterday, the Philippines only had four free throw attempts. It means they didn't penetrate or become more aggressive offensively. It will be another long night for Thoss, Taulava and Pennisi - our ever reliable big guys. But you can do it, guys!

Boy, I do hope for ONCE a Philippine Basketball Association-powered Team Pilipinas beat the odds and make us all proud.

If Korea beats Iran tonight, Team Pilipinas will meet the former in the semifinals (assuming the Nationals win their quarterfinals match up too).

How can most people support Team Pilipinas when they can't even see the replay on national television? Would the UAAP be large as it is today without TV exposure? Not everyone can see Team Pilipinas games live.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Powerade Team Pilipinas vs Kuwait will be at 9:00 am on Basketball TV and CS9 Tomorrow G.w. August 12, 2009. If they win this, they get third place in Group E and face Jordan in the quarterfinals. The Nationals' chance over Kuwait is good. Kuwait is still winless as of press time and that alone speaks about the quality of this team. Mohammed Ashkanani leads the team both in scoring and rebounding - other notables in the squad are Saeed, AlRabah (not Husseini LOL) and it doesn't Al-matter. I'm not bragging but Powerade Team Pilipinas will destroy them. I looked at their height and they are small. Team Pilipinas should guard itself against complacency and go for the kill early as in clobber this team in the first quarter that way they could not expend any more energy than they have to.

They need to concentrate on their next opponent in the quarter finals - Jordan.

Team Pilipinas vs Iran 88 - 78

Miller and Yap combined for 28 points but it wasn't enough - another bad shooting night coupled with many poor decision-making and turnovers at the critical part of the match cost Philippines this basketball game. The Nationals gave up a lot of fouls and Iran took advantage making 23 out of 30 free throw attempts.

The Nationals got behind by twenty in the second quarter and Iran never looked back.

UPDATE: 8 - 12 -09

Team Pilipinas defeated Kuwait 85 -71.

Like most Philippine team supporters, I never doubted the ability of our national team. I wonder why some people get scared so easily. I don't watch PBA regularly but I know they're good. They are powerful enough to crush Kuwait - and they did 85 -71.

This is the last time a Philippine Basketball Association-led Team Pilipinas will play a game against Chinese-Taipei in a real Fiba competition (Jones Cup is not a sanctioned tournament). I think Powerade Team Pilipinas will win. Chinese Taipei has made a conscious effort to emulate South Korea style of basketball (by hiring a Korean coach Chung Kwang Suk more than two years ago) or at least it appears that way. But the East Asian nation still has a lot of work to do frankly speaking. According to Fiba.com, they were given a wildcard spot in the Fiba-Asia Championship for this team didn't EVEN QUALIFY. In short, they're a very lucky team. Other reports say, Fiba pressured Fiba-Asia to let Chinese Taipei in after the world governing body failed to express clearly that the top six placers at last year's Fiba Stankovic Cup will qualify directly to the continental basketball championship. CT didn't join for it thought the tournament didn't matter. Whatever the reason, Chinese Taipei is in the tournament.

Chinese Taipei boasts of big guys such as Tien Li, Tseng Wen Ting, and Wu Tai-Hao - all three stands 202 cm or 6 -8 according to Fiba.com. Pennisi, Taulava and Thoss held their own against the much bigger Ha Seung Jin so these Taiwanese guys shouldn't be a problem. Powerade Team Pilipinas intense and determined defense greatly bothered Korean shooters and the latter shot 18.2% in the three point arc - stunningly low percentage for them. It's good news as Chinese Taipei overly relies on three-pointing shooting too. The team is also quick in transition. No matter, Powerade Team Pilipinas is in a BAD MOOD after the loss to Korea and will be more determined to win against a team that's almost Korea's carbon copy --- less Ha of course. The Nationals need to make their shots though...seriously. It's not enough holding down our opponents through suffocating defense, they also need to make their shots. I know the Team Pilipinas coaching staff know this. I'm confident the team can pull off another win.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Powerade Team Pilipinas vs Korea 9:00 pm August 8 CS 9 if its actually available. CS9 is like Video On Demand. However, it is the channel which decides when can we watch it or not. My grandpa missed the game last night a little rain kept this channel away.

The last time Paul Asi Taulava and Seung Jin Ha, the 7-3 giant, met the Filipino tamed the Korean. Can he do that again? How many energy drinks he will down this time? Nine? Though not as quick as he once was I'm sure his competitive fire is still there. Taulava will need that as Ha is more aggressive now both in offense and defense. Powerade Team Pilipinas also needs to keep an eye on Kim Min Soo, Bang Sung Yoon, and Lee Kyu Sup. Korea plays almost flawless basketball - they shoot accurately, commit few turnovers, and move relentlessly with or without the ball. Their brand of basketball is the antithesis of PBA BASKETBALL - a direct opposite. Their line up have players who can match up physically against Arab teams now unlike before and most of them are carry over from the 2007 Fiba-Asia Championship which Korea placed third. Good luck to Powerade Team Pilipinas lol! Of course, South Korea is hardly invincible, but it will take one herculean effort for the Nationals to pull it off. Of course, they can do it. Our players have to believe it too.

Again Team Pilipinas will have to rely on defense. Korea, like Japan, also rattle in face of relentless defending. Korea relies too much on three point shooting too they can't possibly sustain it for the entire tournament. As long as passes to Ha in the paint is disrupted and controlled, he won't be such a threat but I'm sure Coach Yeng Guiao has a much better gameplan against Korea.

Team Pilipinas shot 53% from the field last night. Their TOs down to nine last night after all the team stopped showboating. If they keep this up, they can beat Korea. They were badly outrebounded by Japan so more effort guys (36 to 48)!

Go Powerade!

Update: 8 - 10 - 2009

The Nationals' defense is something Coach Yeng could build upon in the next matches as it was very intense and menacing. What did Team Pilipinas in was their poor shooting, and fouls --- tsk tsk. Okay Team Pilipinas fans time to forget the match and move on. Our Team is still alive and can still pull off at least two wins - over Chinese-Taipei and Kuwait.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I wasn't able to follow up on this post yesterday. I try to update my blog as soon as possible but something held me up. Please read my new post about Powerade Team Pilipinas second round schedule and don't forget to check my post about Team Pilipinas vs Chinese - Taipei. It is just a short analysis of the upcoming game this afternoon at 4:00 pm thank you very much.

Bleach 369: Soi Fon just can't stand Urahara Kisuke. Why? I think she views him as competition for Yoruichi's attention and affection. Remember the Turn Back The Pendulum arc (in the anime)? Soi Fon tried so hard to discredit Urahara to the extent of even submitting a report logging the guy's alleged mischievous actions (loitering, drinking, etc). It turns out he was gathering intelligence and doing surveillance (remember this kids next time you play hooky). As a result, she was monumentally OWNED and embarrased herself in front of her beloved Yoruichi. Poor girl. Now, its payback time for poor Soi Fon. In exchange for helping Hacchin, Soi Fon would like the Vaizard to seal Urahara for a month LOL (relax its only a manga). I thought she was angry at the Vaizard for something so profound and deep. Man, love blinds. She doesn't care if Hacchin gets hurt (she doesn't view the Vaizards as allies yet but she'll be the Arrancar next target once the big guy is defeated).

Soi Fon a childish captain with a mature front

I find myself bored every time Soi Fon fights in Bleach. She doesn't appeal much to me. She can't believe the confidence Yoruichi has on Urahara.

I'm brimming with pride after Powerade Team Pilipinas (Philippines) victory over Japan last night (78 - 69). YAHOO! Now we got their basketball community's attention - not that it matters -the most important thing is Team Pilipinas reminded them who we are in Asian Basketball. Our team is meant to be taken seriously. A Japanese hoops commentator forgot what Philippines is in Asian caging.

Japan and Philippines started tentatively, but the East Asian country got the better of the Nationals in the early going. The Filipinos kept the game close with Japan's lead never going past five points in the first half. I knew Powerade had a fighting chance and I kept on waiting for our defense to tighten. It happened in the third quarter. What did I say? (Powerade Team Pilipinas vs Japan)

Hard-nosed man-to-man defense make Japanese players squirm. I saw that in the Jones Cup game esp in the first quarter but Powerade's intensity faded in the remainder of that game. The defense made it possible for them to build a 19 -point lead.

The defense I saw in the 1st quarter of the game against Japan and third quarter against Korea in the Jones Cup came back. It also helped that Japan missed several undefended three point shots. Willie Miller's lay-up put us up for the first time in the game 50 - 49. Paul Asi Taulava's slam dunk punctuated a systematic Team Pilipinas' run and nailed Japan. The Philippines was up 72 -57 and never looked back.

Unlike the Jones Cup though, Yeng will stick to the line-up that works. If Team Pilipinas build a huge lead, I don't think they'll lose it so easily like what happened in Taiwan ( please! please!).

I'm not a basketball expert I'm just a fan, but I'm happy what I said came true. I'm glad the Philippine Basketball Association players rose up to the challenge. Thank you.

Notes

I noticed Willie Miller dribbles way up his chest - that's the reason Igarashi Kei stole the leather from him. Coach Yeng Guiao replaced Miller with Jayjay Helterbrand for that HUGE error that cut the lead down to eight points.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Naruto 459: It turns out Danzo's right eye belong to Uchiha Shisui - Itachi's best friend! Man, Uchiha Shisui has mind control powers - a very powerful sharingan indeed! How did the eye got to Danzo will be explained later since it was Itachi who killed Shisui and the latter's body was found in a river.

Was Akatsuki setting up Sasuke? Why on earth would the Aloe Vera (LOL Naruto makes me laugh) I mean Zetsu appear right in the middle of the table where the Kages are having their meeting and say Sasuke is somewhere here? Now Danzo will probably get the idea that Sasuke's after him. Worse, the Kages will go after him.

Naruto's mind is so filled with Sasuke he forgot what Hinata told him.

I wonder why Hinata's sacrifice was so easily forgotten. Luckily, she was revived. Sakura also stole the show when Naruto returned giving him a hug. Poor Naruhina fans! Anti-narusaku are having a field day today and so are the NaruSasu (Naruto - Sasuke Yaoi fans lol)

Ao - is the Byakugan user (he got the eye from a defeated Hyuuga opponent) and Mizukage guard who exposed Danzo and his Sharingan's ability. So much for Powerful Kages, they don't even have a clue.

I don't think Mifune is under Danzo's control. We'll see in the next chapter though.

There are many analyses of this game and I'll offer my simple one. Japan usually uses two bread-and-butter plays

slash and kick out for three

slash and cut

This is what happened in the Jones Cup:

Slowly Japan clawed back using slash and kickout for three and other slash and cut play. It was effective they kept on using it. Our defenders get sucked by the slasher leaving some of the Japanese players open. The problem is the Nihonjin just shoot better from three.

I know the players are now aware of these plays and hopefully they can defend the three-point arc better. Our cagers should do everything to disrupt these attacks and counterattack quickly as Japan struggles in transition. Yes, there were many fastbreak opportunities in the game against Japan in the Jones Cup but most of it were wasted. Powerade Team Pilipinas wanted to play Harlem Globetrotters and ended up as Washington Generals. This urge to entertain is still with the team. There's nothing wrong with showboating - if they can make their shots. I enjoy seeing Japeth Aguilar float and slam the ball as long as he makes it ALL THE TIME.

If they can't defend against the Japanese three-point shooting it will be a hard basketball game for us to watch. It's not fun seeing your team scrambling around in defense and worse the shot goes in. Team Pilipinas can do it though.

Defensive Intensity

Hard-nosed man-to-man defense make Japanese players squirm. I saw that in the Jones Cup game esp in the first quarter but Powerade's intensity faded in the remainder of that game. The defense made it possible for them to build a 19 -point lead. Coach Yeng also he hadn't used the zone defense extensively against Japan or in any game in the Jones Cup.

Though I think Japan is used to playing against the zone (what league in Asia outlawed zone defense to a certain degree anyway) I'm hoping if Coach Yeng does use it, the strategy will pay off. Unlike the Jones Cup though, Yeng will stick to the line-up that works. If Team Pilipinas build a huge lead, I don't think they'll lose it so easily like what happened in Taiwan ( please! please!).

If they have pride, the Philippine Basketball Association led Team Pilipinas will work hard to win. Have some pride and avenge our loss to Japan! You can do it!

My support for Team Pilipinas is constant from the RP youth, Smart Gilas and now Powerade. This is not a fad for me. I do support and criticize when necessary even at the risk of being called a traitor or crab by fanatics for I want them to win!!!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Powerade Team Pilipinas vs Sri Lanka Result - Philippines is off to a very good start blasting off Sri Lanka 115 -31 in the first game of the 2009 Fiba-Asia Championship! It means regardless of the results from our next games Team Pilipinas is heading to the second round but, of course, we prefer they win it all and march on undefeated.

In the first quarter, the Filipinos raced to a 21 - 6 lead. Powerade Team Pilipinas is just too big and talented for the Sri Lankan squad. The Nationals limited the South Asian country to just 9 points in the opening quarter. The second quarter remained the same but the national team blew too many lay-ups prompting Coach Yeng to call a timeout and lash out at the players esp. Arwind Santos. He benched Santos for the entire third quarter. I think 5 lay-ups were blown meaning 10 points were wasted. Why? Some national players were anxious on putting on a show. Memo to Powerade Team Pilipinas: Stop acting like Team USA and just go for the lay-up. IT'S FRUSTRATING seeing them do that - you look like amateurs guys! Stop that! Luckily, Sri Lanka didn't punish them for their errors, but it will not be case against Japan and Korea.

Powerade Team Pilipinas played more seriously in the 2nd half. After the tongue lashing, players stopped showboating and the massacre continued. The Nationals scored 42 points in the 3rd quarter alone. On the other hand, they allowed Sri Lanka to score 14 points in the second half much lower than their first half output of 17 points. Well done! Arwind Santos was on fire in the 2nd half hitting several three point shots.

Powerade Team Pilipinas shot 64% in the field, 31.6% in the 3pt arc, but the free throw shooting is an abysmal 63%.

Another good thing is Team Pilipinas reduced its turnovers from the Jones Cup average of 21 + to just 14.

Hopefully, the players feel good and carry it over in their next game against Japan. Team Pilipinas can beat Japan and I will explain why G.W. tomorrow so please visit the site again.

Powerade Team Pilipinas Basketball team is still in hard practice and hopefully better results will come out from their cramming.

This is an important game for Team Pilipinas as a win will ensure them of a spot in the second round and survive. It will also lessen the pressure on the team. Can Team Pilipinas win against Sri Lanka? Of course (no offense to the Sri Lankan people), this is basketball and we have enough fire power to put Sri Lanka away early. I think our players have enough experience and talent to beat the South Asian country. However, the Nationals should resist showboating and complacency and finish off their opponent right away - you know develop the killer instinct. Yes, they can win! Believe...Powerade Team Pilipinas will get into the second round and get back at Taiwan, and Uzbekistan / Kuwait.

Hey, Willie Miller, you must show leadership again and rally your squad. I see you leading the troops back in Jones Cup. Please do it again. Motivate them and please knock some sense to those who deserve it. Powerade Team Pilipinas fans are counting on your ability to lead the team. There's no leader in the team but you.

Please watch your team's defensive intensity in the second quarter against Japan in the Jones Cup - that's how Powerade Team Pilipinas built a 19-point lead. Do it again. Replicate it and I can assure you many teams will rattle at that kind of defense. As they say if you can't score don't let your opponent score too.

Will Team Pilipinas rise up to the challenge despite the injuries, lack of point guard, short preparation time, poor shooting, poor defense etc?

Hopefully they could at least reach the quarterfinals! Coach Yeng is lucky with the draw. Why? Only a win will take them to the second round! The ills mentioned are self-inflicted. For this matter, blame the Philippine Basketball Association who knew beforehand the schedule but didn't make enough allowance for training. Man, even Manny Pacquiao trains two months before a BIG FIGHT and never stops learning. There are many excellent point guards here as I've said before - there's no excuse for the lack of a court general. Poor shooting and poor defense SHOULDN'T BE a problem after all our players are PROFESSIONALS but it still is.

It's just a basketball game. Win or lose these players will still be millionaires - what pressure?

Pressure? You want to know pressure?

A young graduate in a job interview competing with 123 people for a single job

OFW stuck in Kish island without work

A recently laid-off worker with a family to feed

Compared to them what Powerade Team Pilipinas is going through is heaven. Qualify or not, their lives are OK. That's the reason why Manny Pacquiao smiles every time he fights. Compared to what he's gone through, his boxing matches are just child's play. For once will a PBA-powered national team stop this whining about pressure. In fact repeated failures in international competitions have never damaged the PBA irrevocably too. Fans still come in large number. Yes, the ratings dipped but there's still enough fans to sustain the league for Filipinos love their basketball. In China, football fans rallied on the street after another disappointing World Cup campaign. Did that happen here? If I'm not mistaken, angry Chinese fans let their feelings known to Yao Ming after China's defeat at the 2002 Busan Asian Games to Korea. The Philippine Basketball Association players are lucky Filipino fans are still logical - even in the bitterest defeat.

"Pressure is something that goes in tires." Charles Barkley

The NBA talks a lot about bringing back something to the community and representing their country is one of them. The NBA will continue to support their national team our PBA won't -- as if this country has a very big pool of talented basketball players.

The NCC setup worked because of the three reinforcements - Dennis Still, Jeff Moore, and Chip Engelland and weak competition back then. Now, a team is allowed one naturalized player and our Asian competitors also have huge talent pool to choose from (their youth teams and professional leagues). Without the PBA, SBP is limited to collegiate players and pros from other leagues (not in the same quality as the PBA). Most of the best players in the country are still in the Philippine Basketball Association. Our national team is self-handicapped.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Orthros No Inu, the Japanese Television drama featured in the blog months ago, is now airing and its theme song is called Hikari Hitotsu sung by Takizawa Hideaki . Yes, he is one of the leads. And no I haven't watched it yet - it has very interesting story line.